Effective Practices of Church Boards

A Panel Discussion moderated by Jeren Rowell, Kansas City District Superintendent

Bill M. Sullivan, former Church Growth Director for the Church of the Nazarene, used to say that behind every healthy and growing church is a senior pastor and church board who are in sync. He recognized that the partnership between pastors and boards was a critical element to an effective church, and that a breakdown of this crucial relationship was often at the center of congregational dysfunction and ineffectiveness.

In April 2012, pastors and church leaders in the Church of the Nazarene met at the denomination’s Global Ministry Center to engage in a conversation on best practices of church boards, which was moderated by Jeren Rowell, superintendent of the Kansas City District. The panel included LeBron Fairbanks and senior pastor Dwight M. Gunter, co-authors (along with Jim Couchenour) of Best Practices for Effective Boards, a 2012 publication from Beacon Hill Press, and four senior pastors from the Kansas City District: Clark Armstrong, Dave Hazel, Deanna Hayden, and Dennis Solis. The meeting was convened by Grace and Peace Magazine.

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